It Started With
A Simple Idea
It Started With
A Simple Idea
In 2010, a group of purposeful individuals — alumni of some of India’s most prestigious institutions — set out to reimagine what access to quality education could look like. They believed that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity doesn’t. And they were determined to change that.
Today, Avanti is more than just an education initiative — it's a movement. From the bustling cities to the most remote villages, our team of dedicated teachers and mentors go where they’re needed most, ensuring that every student we work with has the guidance, support, and resources to reach their full potential.
The Levers That
Make It Possible
Avanti runs 3 interventions across 12 large public school systems in India
Self-Paced Online
900 Students
Every student enrolled in partner school systems has access to video content, mock tests and career information across 5 states and JNVs.
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Online Live Classes
500 students
Across 4 states, and through 1 Pan India program, 12-hour-long live classes are conducted online in small batches for students who cannot leave home to avail
in-person sessions.
Centres of Excellence
39 Centers, 2,591 students
We identify mission-oriented teachers and place them with high-achieving students across the nation. Many of them belong to similar backgrounds as our students, and are able to draw on their own experiences providing over 20 hours of tutoring, mentoring, and counseling each week.
Meet the Trustees
Over the past 10 years, we have grown into a 300+ member team. Our team works tirelessly to ensure that students from marginalized communities have an opportunity to receive access to affordable and high-quality education, fulfilling their dreams.
Vandana Goyal is the co-CEO and Managing Trustee at Avanti Fellows. A seasoned non-profit executive with over two decades of experience, she specializes in developing scalable education models through impactful public-private partnerships. Vandana has consistently led organizations at the nexus of government systems, philanthropy, and innovation, significantly improving learning outcomes for underserved students. Her commitment to education and social impact extends to various board and investment committee roles, including The Akanksha Foundation, Save the Children India, Kizazi UK, and The American School of Bombay. Vandana was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (2012-2017); served on the Jury for the Global Teacher Prize by the Varkey Foundation (2014-2021); and was honored as one of the Top 20 Outstanding AmeriCorps Alumni in 2015.
Akshay Saxena is the Co-Founder of Avanti Fellows. An Ashoka Fellow, he is recognized globally for his innovative approaches to solving complex social challenges. His work at Avanti Fellows has earned widespread acclaim, including the 2024 Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. He was also awarded the Draper Richards Kaplan Fellowship and the Echoing Green Fellowship in 2012; and received the IIT Bombay Young Alumni Achiever Award in 2023. Prior to Avanti, Akshay worked as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group in India; contributed to field programs with UN World Food Programme and International Save the Children Alliance; and helped build technology startups in the Bay Area. Akshay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay.
Ashank Desai is the founder, Vice Chairman, and Managing Director of Mastek Ltd., a global technology services company offering digital services and software for public and private enterprises in the UK, US, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. He is one of the founder members and a past chairman of NASSCOM. He is a member of the governing board of IIM Ahmedabad; and is the president of Goa Institute of Management Society. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan in Goa. He serves on the advisory boards of SJM School of Management and as vice-chairman for the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) at his alma mater, IIT Bombay.
Piyush Tewari currently serves as the CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF). Previously, Mr. Tewari led the India operations of Calibrated Healthcare, a LA-based private equity fund. He also served on the founding team of India Brand Equity Fund. He is an Ashoka Fellow, an Echoing Green Fellow, and a Rolex Laureate. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Delhi University.
Utsav Baijal is Partner and Head of India Private Equity at Apollo, where he also manages AION Capital Partners, a strategic partnership between Apollo and ICICI Bank Ltd. He has worked across private equity, mezzanine and credit investments across the US and Asian markets and has served on the board of directors of IGT Solutions, Clix Capital, PlanetCast Media Services, Welspun Corp, and DishTV. He studied Economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and received his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad.
Koita Foundation is a not-for-profit advancing digital health in India and transforming NGOs through process and tech implementation. Rekha Koita, with over eight years at Accenture as a management consultant, has also spent over a decade delivering corporate training in business consulting. An IIT Bombay alumna (B.Tech, Metallurgical Engineering, 1992, Institute Silver Medal), she earned her M.S. in Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon in 1994. Rekha remains deeply engaged with IIT Bombay, having led initiatives for her batch’s Silver Jubilee Legacy Project—spanning mental health, global conference travel funds, and rural immersion. She received the institute’s Distinguished Service Award in 2019. Rekha also serves on the Board of IIT Bombay’s Research Park, strengthening academia-industry collaboration.
Vishal Tulsyan founded Motilal Oswal Alternates (MO Alternates) in 2006 with Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited (MOFSL) as its sponsor. With over 30 years of experience in Indian financial services, he possesses expertise in private equity, investment banking, and structured finance. Under his leadership, MO Alternates has raised five private equity and six real estate funds, managing USD 3.5 bn in assets, and has emerged as one of the most respected alternates platform in India. Previously, at Rabobank, he executed 50 transactions worth over USD 20bn, building its corporate finance and life sciences practices in India. Vishal is also the Founder and Trustee of Plaksha University, a Core Founder of Accelerate Indian Philanthropy, and co-founder of Abhiyan Bharat Foundation. He is an alumnus of St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and is a rank holder Chartered Accountant.
Prachi leads the foundation’s work in India, helping more people access education, jobs, and financial services to build economic stability. She manages a range of funding approaches, including grants and investments, to create lasting impact. She has played a key role in state-wide education reforms, served on company boards, and led industry initiatives. Since 2021, she has been a board member of the India Impact Investors Council, chairing the organization from 2023 to 2025. She has also helped shape the use of blended finance in education and job training. Before joining the foundation, Prachi worked at Boston Consulting Group in India and in the telecommunications sector at Qualcomm and Motorola in the U.S. She earned her engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, a Master of Science from the University of Southern California, and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
